Flexible seals for process control valves

ABSTRACT

Flexible seals for process control valves are disclosed. An example disclosed seal includes a seal for use with a butterfly valve. The example seal includes a substantially flexible ring-shaped carrier configured to be moveably fixed within the butterfly valve and to surround a flow control aperture therein. The example seal includes a seal stiffener adjacent the substantially flexible ring-shaped carrier to increase the stiffness of the substantially flexible ring-shaped carrier in a first flow direction. The example seal includes a substantially rigid seal ring to engage an opposing surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/741,258, which was filed on Apr. 27, 2007 and entitled “FlexibleSeals for Process Control Valves,” which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/313,364, which was filed on Dec. 21,2005 and entitled “Flexible Seals for Process Control Valves,” both ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to seals, and, more particularly, toflexible seals for use with process control valves.

BACKGROUND

Typically, it is necessary to control process control fluids inindustrial processes, such as oil and gas pipeline distribution systemsand chemical processing plants. In some industrial processes, butterflyvalves are used to control the flow of process fluid. Generally, theindustrial process conditions, such as pressure conditions, operationaltemperatures, and the process fluids dictate the type of valvecomponents, including the types of butterfly valve seals that may beused.

A portion of a known butterfly valve 50 is shown in FIG. 1. Thebutterfly valve 50, which may be, for example, the 8510 valve made byFisher®, a division of Emerson Process Management of St. Louis, Mo.,uses a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) seal. In a typical PTFE seal, aPTFE seal ring 52 is secured in a valve body 54. The PTFE seal ring 52makes contact with a disc 56 when the valve 50 is closed to form a sealtherebetween. PTFE seals, such as that depicted in FIG. 1, provideexcellent sealing performance compared to metal seals and provide arelatively long seal life. PTFE seals also provide a reduction in theamount of torque needed to unseat a disc (e.g., the disc 56) from theseal (e.g., the seal ring 52), but are limited to process applicationsthat expose the seal to temperatures below 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Graphite laminated seals, such as a seal 62 used in a butterfly valve 60of FIG. 2 are also known. The graphite laminated seal 62 of FIG. 2 isgenerally used in butterfly valves known as triple offset valves.Compared to conventional double offset valves, triple offset valvestypically have a larger offset between the center of rotation of thevalve shaft (not shown) and the center of rotation of a disc 64. Theoffset causes the disc 64 and the seal 62 to travel along an eccentricpath as the disc 64 moves into and away from a seat 66, therebysubstantially reducing the contact region of the expanded graphitelaminate seal 62 and the seat 66 during closure. As furtherdistinguished from a double offset valve, the cross-section of the disc64 of the triple offset valve 60 is typically elliptical rather thancircular to further reduce contact area between the seal 62 and the seat66 near closure. As is known, the triple offset valve 60 is configuredto reduce wear in any applications (e.g., throttling or on-off) byreducing the contact or engagement area between the seal 62 and the seat66 when the disc 64 and the seal 62 are unseated (i.e., operating nearthe seat 66 when opening or closing).

Generally, the seal 62 is rigidly attached to the disc 64 and the seat66 is integral to the valve body 68. Triple offset designs such as thatshown in FIG. 2 can be disadvantageous due to the high torque requiredto drive the disc 64 and the seal 62 into and away from the seat 66 toensure tight shutoff. Additionally, this type of seal is difficult tomaintain. For example, if there is any damage to the seat 66, which isintegral to the valve body 68, the valve body 68 also requires repair orreplacement.

Metal seals have also traditionally been used in butterfly valves. Onesuch metal seal, which is shown in the portion of a valve 70 shown inFIG. 3, is the metal seal used in the 8510B valve also made by Fisher®,a division of Emerson Process Management of St. Louis, Mo. In the sealshown in FIG. 3, a cantilevered metal seal ring 72 contacts a disc 74 toform a seal therebetween. Metal seals are well suited for use with hightemperature and high pressure process applications, but generally aremore susceptible to wear and, thus, require greater maintenance andincur greater cost.

There have been numerous attempts to combine the characteristics of atleast two of the known seal types previously described. One such attemptis shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates a portion of a valve 80 with thefire safe seal by Xomox® of Cincinnati, Ohio. The fire safe sealillustrated in FIG. 4 combines elements of a PTFE seal and a metal seal.As depicted in FIG. 4, a primary PTFE seal 82 is retained within areceiving channel 84 of a secondary metal seal 86. The fire safe seal isretained within a valve body 88 by a seal ring retainer 90 and isconfigured so that upon retention within the valve body 88 a preload ofthe fire safe seal results in a bend or flexure 92 in the metal seal 86similar to that of a belleville washer. This preload creates a springforce so that when a disc 94 contacts the seal, the spring force drivesthe fire safe seal into contact with the disc 94 and a fluid seal isformed between the PTFE seal component 82 and the disc 94. In operation,the primary PTFE seal component 82 is sacrificial. For example, in thecase of a fire where temperatures surrounding the PTFE seal component 82exceed 450 degrees Fahrenheit, the PTFE component 82 may be consumed(i.e., sublimated or burned), but the spring force provided via theflexure 92 causes the metal seal 86 to contact the disc 94 to maintainthe fluid seal therebetween. However, the type of fire safe sealdepicted in FIG. 4 is susceptible to fatigue failures at the flexure 92.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one example, a seal for use with a butterfly valveincludes a substantially flexible ring-shaped carrier configured to befixed within the butterfly valve and to surround a flow control aperturetherein. The seal also includes a ring-shaped cartridge coupled to aninner diameter of the ring-shaped carrier. The cartridge includes afirst portion and a second portion coupled to the first portion todefine a circumferential opening to hold a seal ring.

In accordance with another example, a seal for use with a butterflyvalve includes a cartridge having a first ring-shaped portion and asecond ring-shaped portion coupled to the first ring-shaped portion todefine an opening. Additionally, a substantially rigid ring-shaped sealis retained in the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a known PTFE butterflyvalve seal.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a known graphitelaminated seal for use in a triple offset butterfly valve.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a known metal seal foruse in butterfly valves.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a known butterfly valveseal combining characteristics of a metal seal and a PTFE seal.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a butterfly valveincluding an example seal having a rigid seal ring fixed to a flexibleseal carrier.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the example seal ring andseal carrier of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an alternative sealconfiguration that may be used to implement the example seal of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another alternative sealconfiguration that may be used to implement the example seal of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a butterfly valveincluding a cartridge to couple a seal ring to a flexible seal carrier.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the butterfly valve ofFIG. 9 depicting an alternative cartridge to couple a seal ring to aflexible seal carrier.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a butterfly valveincluding an example graphite laminated seal ring on a disc.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the example seal ring of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the example butterflyvalve of FIG. 11 further including an example seal stiffener.

FIG. 14 is a plan view the example seal stiffener depicted in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative seal ringcartridge and flexible carrier configuration that may be used within abutterfly valve.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative seal ringcartridge and flexible carrier configuration that may be used within abutterfly valve.

FIG. 17 depicts an example radial weld that may be used to implement theexample cartridge of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 depicts an example axial weld that may be used to implement theexample cartridge of FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of another example cartridgeconfiguration that may be used to implement the example seals describedherein.

FIG. 20 is cross-section view of yet another example cartridgeconfiguration that may be used to implement the example seals describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an example butterflyvalve 100. The butterfly valve 100 shown in FIG. 5 may, for example, beused to control process fluids, such as natural gas, oil, water, etc.over a wide range of temperatures. As shown in FIG. 5, the butterflyvalve 100 includes a disc 102 (e.g., a movable flow control member) atwhich a relatively high pressure fluid may be presented. The butterflyvalve 100 also includes a valve body 104 and a retainer or protectorring 106 coupled to the valve body 104. The protector ring 106 retains aseal 110 to form a fluid seal between the disc 102 and the seal 110.

The disc 102 is mounted within the valve 100 via a valve shaft (notshown). To control the flow of process fluid through the valve 100, acontrol valve instrument (not shown) is operatively coupled to the valve100 and generally provides a pneumatic signal to the valve actuator (notshown) in response to a control signal from a process controller, whichmay be part of a distributed control system (neither of which areshown). The valve actuator is coupled to the valve shaft and as thepneumatic signal moves the valve actuator, the valve shaft and the disc102 attached thereto rotate so that a contoured edge 111 of the disc 102is positioned relative to the seal 110 (e.g., in an open position) at anangle proportional to the control signal. The disc 102 may also berotated to a closed position (e.g., the contoured edge 111 of the disc102 may be brought into contact with the seal 110) to form a fluid seal.In other words, a fluid seal is formed between the disc 102 and the seal110 when the disc 102 is rotated to a closed position and contacts theseal 110. The seal 110 may be configured to have an inner diameter toform an interference fit with the average diameter of the disc 102.

Additionally, the protector ring 106 is configured to provide simplifiedmaintenance access to the seal 110 for replacement and prevents directexposure of process fluid to the seal 110. The example clamped designdepicted in FIG. 5 advantageously provides a seal between the protectorring 106, the valve body 104, and the seal 110 by creating intimatecontact therebetween to substantially prevent the flow of process fluidbetween the protector ring 106 and the valve body 104 (i.e., leakagepast the disc 102). Additionally, gaskets (not shown) may be providedadjacent to the protector ring 106, the valve body 104, and the seal110, to improve seal performance.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the example seal 110 of FIG.5. The example seal 110 includes a substantially flexible carrier 112,which has, for example, a curved profile or any other profile that mayimpart flexibility to the flexible carrier 112. The example seal 110also includes a substantially rigid seal ring 114 having an outercircumferential surface 113 that contacts the flexible carrier 112 andan inner circumferential surface 115 configured to contact and sealinglyengage the disc 102 (FIG. 5). The flexible carrier 112 enables thesubstantially rigid seal ring 114 to substantially follow the movementof the disc 102 near closure of the valve 100. Thus, when the disc 102is subjected to large pressure drops and any deflection or movement ofthe disc 102 occurs, the seal 110 can move with the disc 102 to maintainsealing contact. The flexible carrier 112 also provides a static sealbetween the protector ring 106 and the valve body 104 to prevent leakagearound the seal 110. In contrast to some known floating designs, theexample seal 110 is a clamped design in which the flexibility of thecarrier 112 and the rigidity of the ring 114 may be controlledindependently.

As shown in FIG. 6, the example seal ring 114 is a layered structure. Inthe example of FIG. 6, outer layers 116 comprise a substantially orrelatively rigid material such as a metal. In one particular example,the outer layers 116 are made of stainless steel. However, other and/oradditional materials could be used instead. The outer layers 116 providerigidity to the seal ring 114 to enable generation of sealing forcesrequired to affect a seal against the disc 102 when the disc (e.g., thedisc 102) is in sealing engagement with the seal ring 114. Thecross-section (e.g., the thickness or cross-sectional area) of the outerlayers 116 may be varied to adjust the rigidity of the seal ring 114.

Adjacent to each of the outer layers 116 is a relatively thin layer ofexpanded graphite 118, which may be implemented using a reinforcedcarbon fiber material. The expanded graphite 118 is primarily used tobind or affix a central layer 120 disposed between the expanded graphitelayers 118 to the seal 110. The central layer 120 provides the primaryseal, and may be made of a polymer such as, for example, PTFE.

In the illustrated example of FIG. 6, a secure bond is formed betweenthe outer layers 116 and the expanded graphite layers 118 using, forexample, an adhesive such as a phenolic adhesive. The central layer 120is bonded to the expanded graphite layers 118 using a thermo-compressiveprocess in which elevated temperatures permit the central layer 120 toflow into interstices on the adjoining surface(s) (i.e., the graphitelayers 118) with high compressive loads forming a mechanical bond. Afterthe layers 116, 118 and 120 are bonded, an additional load is applied tothe seal ring 114 to compress the expanded graphite layers 118. In oneexample, the expanded graphite layers 118 are compressed to, forexample, about 47% of their original thickness. The compression of theexpanded graphite layers 118 provides an initial gasket-seating load toprevent leakage or seepage through the expanded graphite layers 118 inoperation. In one example, a load of about 5,000 pounds per square inchmay be used to compress the expanded graphite layers 118.

After the layers 116, 118 and 120 are bonded and the load is applied tocompress the expanded graphite layers 118, the outer circumferentialsurface 113 of the seal ring 114 is coupled to a flush side 122 of theseal carrier 112. The seal ring 114 may be coupled to the flush side 122by, for example, a laser weld at each of the outer layers 116. However,any other mechanical, metallurgical, and/or chemical fasteningtechniques may be used instead of or in addition to welds.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative example laminated expanded graphite seal 150that can be used as the seal 110 (FIG. 6). Many of the features of theseal 150 are similar to the seal 110, with a few distinctions. Similarto the seal 110, the seal 150 also includes a flexible carrier 152,which has, for example, a curved profile and flush side 154. The exampleseal 150 includes a rigid seal ring 156 that has an outercircumferential surface 155 that contacts the flexible carrier 152 andan inner circumferential surface 157 configured to contact a disc (e.g.,the disc 102 of FIG. 5). The seal ring 156 also includes multiplelayers. Outer layers 158 may be made of a metal such as, for example,stainless steel. As with the example seal 110 (FIG. 6), the outer layers158 provide rigidity to the seal ring 156 to enable development of therequired sealing forces when sealingly engaged with a disc. Thethickness of the outer layers 158 can be varied to control the rigidityof the seal ring 156.

Between the outer layers 158 are three layers of expanded graphite 160,which may be implemented using reinforced carbon fiber, in alternatingrelation to two layers 162 of either a metal or a polymer such as, forexample, stainless steel or PTFE. The metal or polymer layers 162 mayprevent adhesion and/or transfer of the graphite material in theexpanded graphite layers 160 to a disc (e.g., the disc 102) or any otherflow control member. When the layers 162 are made of polymers, thelayers 162 may provide lubrication to prevent material transfer from theexpanded graphite layers 160 to the disc 102. When the layers 162 aremade of metal, the layers 162 may provide a scraping action tosubstantially reduce material adhesion of the expanded graphite layers160 to a disc or other flow control member.

The attachment method for the layers 158, 160, and 162 is dependent uponthe layers 162. When the layers 162 of the seal 150 are polymer layers,they are bonded in a manner similar to the layers 116, 118, and 120 ofthe seal 110, as described above. When the layers 162 of the seal 150are metallic layers, such as stainless steel, all the layers are bondedusing an adhesive, such as a phenolic adhesive. In addition, the sealring 156 is coupled to the flexible carrier 152 in a manner similar tothe manner in which the ring 114 is coupled to the carrier 112, asdescribed above in connection with FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an example metal seal 180 that can be used in the examplevalve 100 of FIG. 5 in a manner similar to the example seal 110. Theexample seal 180 includes a flexible seal carrier 182, which has, forexample, a curved profile or any other profile suitable to provide aflexure, and a rigid seal ring 184 that has an inner circumferentialsurface 186 and an outer circumferential surface 188. The outercircumferential surface 188 is coupled to a flush side 190 of the sealcarrier 182. The example seal ring 184 is made of a metal such as, forexample, stainless steel. The rigidity of the seal ring 184 is afunction of the cross-sectional area of the seal ring 184. Specifically,the greater the cross-sectional area of the seal ring 184, the morerigid the seal ring 184 becomes. The example metal seal 180 enables theuse of a variety of materials for the seal ring 184 and the carrier 182,such as, for example, nickel-chromium alloys or other corrosionresistant materials. Additionally, the use of dissimilar metals for theseal ring 184 and the carrier 182 enables the use of a fatigue resistantmaterial for the carrier 182, such as S31600 SST and the use of a wearresistant material, such as Alloy 6, for the seal ring 184. Similar tothe example seals 110 and 150, the example metal seal 180 is a clampeddesign in which the flexibility of the carrier 182 and the rigidity ofthe ring 184 may be controlled independently.

In the example seals 110, 150 and 180 of FIGS. 6-8, the hoop stresses,presented by disc-seal engagement, may induce the example seals 110,150, and 180 to conform to the shape of the disc 102 to maintain thedynamic seal during disc movement near closure. The disc 102 and/or sealrings 114, 156, and 184 may have a circular and/or elliptical shape.With an elliptically-shaped disc or seal rings, the interference betweenthe disc 102 and the seals 110, 150, and 180 may be substantially zeroin an area over or adjacent to the valve shaft.

Though an elliptical shape is discussed above, the shape may be modifiedslightly from a true ellipse to limit contact between the disc 102 andthe seals 110, 150, and 180 to the last few degrees of rotation. Inaddition, other shapes may be utilized for either the disc 102 and/orthe seals 110, 150, and 180 to optimize the geometry of the disc 102 tosuit the needs of a particular application.

The perimeter of the disc 102 can be designed to have no interferencewith the seal 110, 150, and 180 near the axis of rotation of the disc102 and a desired amount of interference with the seal 110, 150, and 180at the axis 90° to the shaft and all points in between. The profile ofthe disc 102 may also be designed so that the interference issubstantially the same on both sides of the perimeter of the disc 102 asthe disc 102 is closed. These design options may enable the interferencebetween the disc 102 and the seal 110, 150, and 180 to take place inonly the last few degrees of closure, thereby eliminating or minimizingwear in the area near the axis of rotation of the disc 102. The hoopstress that is developed in the last few degrees of rotation providesthe loading needed to obtain a seal in the area near the axis ofrotation.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a butterfly valve200 that has a seal ring 202 coupled via a cartridge 204 to a flexibleseal carrier 210. The valve 200 operates in a substantially similarmanner to the valve 100 described above. The example cartridge 204 ismade of an upper portion 206 and a lower portion 208. The seal ring 202is inserted between the upper portion 206 and the lower 208 portion,which are press-fitted until the assembly is solid. The cartridge 204 iscoupled to the carrier 210 via, for example, a laser weld. However, anyother mechanical, metallurgical, and/or chemical fastener may be usedinstead of or in addition to a weld. In the example of FIG. 9, only onelaser weld is used to couple the components 206, 208, and 210. Thecantilevered profile of the carrier 210 in this example increases theflexibility of the carrier 210. While the example carrier 210 is coupledto the cartridge 204 near the top of the cartridge 204 under a flange212, the carrier 210 may be coupled to the cartridge 204 at a differentpoint. If the carrier 210 and the cartridge 204 are coupled at adifferent point (i.e., different than what is depicted in FIG. 9), theshape of the upper 206 and the lower 208 portions may be altered so thatthe components 206, 208, and 210 could be coupled using one weld.

The upper 206 and the lower 208 portions of the cartridge 204 may bemade of a metal such as, for example, stainless steel. The seal ring 202is a layered structure similar to any of the layered structuresdescribed above. In addition, the seal ring 202 may also be a solidstructure such as, for example, a solid piece of expanded graphite.

The use of the cartridge 206 to couple the seal ring 202 to the carrier210 significantly strengthens the support of the seal ring 202. Inparticular, the increased metal mass provided by the cartridge 206 helpshold the layers of the seal ring 202 together. The support provided bythe cartridge 204 increases the load the seal is able to withstandwithout leakage.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the example valve 200 ofFIG. 9 with an alternative cartridge 252 and carrier 254. The cartridge252 in this example also has an upper 256 and a lower 258 portion, butthe upper 256 and the lower 258 portions are shaped differently than theupper 206 and lower 208 portions of the example cartridge 204 of FIG. 9.The upper 256 and lower 258 portions are shaped differently than thosedepicted in FIG. 9 because the carrier 254 is substantially flat and iscoupled to the cartridge 252 lower on the cartridge 252. Consequently,there is no need for a flange on the upper 256 portion. Also, the flatprofile of the carrier 254 reduces tooling costs associated with itsmanufacture in comparison to the carrier 210, which has a curved profileand, thus, requires a die. The shape of components of the valve 200shown in either of the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10 can be designed andmanufactured substantially similarly to those of the valve 100, asdescribed above.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an example butterflyvalve 300, which may be similar to the valves 100 and 200 describedabove. As shown in FIG. 3, the butterfly valve 300 includes a disc 302(e.g., a movable flow control member) at which a relatively highpressure fluid may be presented. The butterfly valve 300 also includes avalve body 304 and a protector ring 306 coupled to the valve body 304.The protector ring 306 retains a flexible seal 310 to form a fluid sealbetween the disc 302 and the flexible seal 310. The flexible seal 310may be a stamped metal component similar to the carriers 112, 152, 182,and 210 described above. However, the flexible seal 310 does not supporta seal ring in this example but, rather, is used to form a seal againstthe disc 302.

The disc 302 includes an upper portion 312 and a lower portion 314. Theupper 312 and lower 314 portions are coupled or clamped via a mechanicalfastener 316 such as, for example, a bolt, or any other mechanicalfastener(s). When clamped, the upper 312 and lower 314 portions fittogether and form a contoured edge 318. A seal ring 320 is disposedalong the contoured edge 318 and between the upper 312 and lower 314portions of the disc 302.

The seal ring 320 is shown enlarged in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, theseal ring 320 is a layered structure similar to any of the layeredstructures described above. For example, the outer layers 322 mayinclude a substantially or relatively rigid material such as a metal. Inone particular example, the outer layers 322 are made of stainlesssteel. However, other and/or additional materials could be used instead.

Adjacent to each of the outer layers 322 is a relatively thin layer ofexpanded graphite 324, which may be implemented using a reinforcedcarbon fiber material. A central layer 326 is disposed between thegraphite layers 324. The central layer 326 may be made of a polymer suchas, for example, PTFE to provide lubrication to prevent the transfer ofgraphite material from the expanded graphite layers 324 to the flexibleseal 310 or the like. Though two metal layers 322, two expanded graphitelayers 324 and one polymer layer 326 are shown in the example ring ofFIGS. 11 and 12, any number and/or combination of the layers 322, 324and 326 may be used instead.

The layers 322, 324 and 326 of the seal ring 320 are bonded in a mannersimilar to the layered structures described above. After the layers 322,324, and 326 are bonded and the load is applied to compress the expandedgraphite layers 324, the seal ring 320 is placed between the upper 312and lower 314 portions of the disc 302. The portions 312 and 314 of thedisc 302 are then clamped together with the fastener(s) 316 to secure orclamp the seal ring 320 to the disc 302. The upper 312 and the lower 314portions support the ring 320 in a manner similar to the manner in whichthe cartridges 204 and 252 of FIGS. 9 and 10 support their respectiveseals. The disc 302 and the flexible seal 310 operate and create a sealin a manner similar to disc 102 and the seal 110 described above.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the butterflyvalve 300 with increased stiffness in a reverse flow direction B. Asshown in FIG. 13, a sealing structure 305 includes the protector ring306 of the butterfly valve 300 and a stiffening member 350 adjacent tothe flexible seal 310. Though substantially flexible, the stiffeningmember 350 is configured to increase the stiffness of the flexible seal310 (i.e., functions as a seal stiffener) in the reverse flow directionB and is further configured to not interfere with the movement of theflexible seal 310 in a forward flow direction A (e.g., the stiffness ofthe flexible seal 310 is not affected by the stiffening member 350 inthe forward flow direction A). As shown in FIG. 13, the examplestiffening member or seal stiffener 350 is disposed between theprotector ring 306 and the flexible seal 310. In some examples, the sealstiffener 350 may not be fastened to the protector ring 306 and or theflexible seal 310. For example, the seal stiffener 350 may be capturedor clamped between, but not permanently fixed to, the flexible seal 310and the protector ring 306. As a result, the stiffening member 350 isconfigured to have one stiffness in the forward flow direction A andanother or different stiffness in the reverse flow direction B.

One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a variety ofdifferent materials may be used to implement the seal stiffener 350. Forexample, the seal stiffener 350 may be composed of a similar material tothe material used to form the flexible seal 310 and/or may be made of amaterial that has relatively improved wear and/or corrosion resistancethan that of the flexible seal 310. Alternatively, the seal stiffener350 may also be composed of a material that has less wear resistancethan that of the flexible seal 310 because the seal stiffener 350 doesnot maintain sliding contact with the sealing ring 320, as does theflexible seal 310.

As shown in FIG. 14, the seal stiffener 350 may have a washer-like shapewith an inner diameter 352 substantially equal to the inner diameter ofthe flexible seal 310. The seal stiffener 350 may have an outer diameter354 that is large enough so that the seal stiffener 350 is securelycaptured between a clamping portion (e.g., the protector ring 306) andthe flexible seal 310. The seal stiffener 350 may be substantiallyplanar or may have a contoured profile. The contoured profile may beformed by bends 356 and 358. Additionally, the seal stiffener 350 may beconfigured to interfere with abrasive media making contact with theflexible seal 310, thereby functioning as a shield to protect theflexible seal 310 from abrasive media.

Alternatively, the seal stiffener 350 may have a plurality of flexiblecantilevered members, each of which may have one end captured betweenthe flexible seal 310 and the protector ring 306 and another endextending to at least the tip portion 360 of the flexible seal 310. Theplurality of cantilevered members may be uniformly spaced around thecircumference of the flexible seal 310 and/or may be spaced around thecircumference of the flexible seal 310 in any desired configuration sothat the plurality of cantilevered members substantially uniformlyincrease the stiffness of the entire flexible seal 310 in the reverseflow direction B.

Returning to FIG. 13, as fluid pressure in the reverse flow direction Bis applied to the disc 302 in the closed position, the flexible seal 310is flexed in the reverse flow direction B until the tip portion 360abuts or contacts the seal stiffener 350. In this manner, the sealstiffener 350 acts as a flexible support for the tip portion 360 of theflexible seal 310. As a result, the seal stiffener 350 increases thestiffness of the flexible seal 310 in the reverse flow direction B toprevent the flexible seal 310 from flexing too far so that the fluidseal between the contoured edge 318 of the disc 302 and flexible seal310 is not compromised or broken. A component similar to the sealstiffener 350 may also be added to any of the other examples describedherein.

In the example valve 300 of FIGS. 11 and 13, the dynamic seal betweenthe flexible seal 310 and the seal ring 320 may utilize hoop stressinduced into the flexible seal 310 by the shape of the seal ring 320 andthe disc 302 and/or the flexible seal 310 described above with respectto FIG. 5. Further, the seal ring 320 may be designed and manufacturedin a manner substantially similar to that described above with respectto the rings 114, 156, and 184 of FIGS. 6-8.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative seal ringcartridge and flexible carrier configuration 400 that may be used withina butterfly valve. In general, the configuration 400 of FIG. 15 issimilar to that shown in FIG. 9. As depicted in FIG. 15, a cartridge 402having an upper portion 404 and a lower portion 406 are fixed to aflexible carrier 408 via welds (e.g., laser welds) 410. A seal ring 412is captured between the upper and lower portions 404 and 406. The sealring 412 may be implemented using any of the layered seal structuresdescribed herein. In contrast to the seal/carrier configuration shown inFIG. 9, the cartridge 402 is attached to a flush side 414 of theflexible 408 similar to the manner in which the seal rings 114, 156, and184 are fixed to their respective carriers 112, 152, and 182.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative seal or sealring cartridge and flexible carrier configuration 500 that may be usedwithin a butterfly valve. As depicted in FIG. 16, the example seal 500includes a substantially flexible ring-shaped carrier 502 configured tobe fixed within a butterfly valve (e.g., the example valve 100 of FIG.5) and to surround a flow control aperture therein. Additionally, theexample seal 500 includes a ring-shaped cartridge 504 coupled to aninner diameter surface 506 of the ring-shaped carrier 502. The examplecartridge 504 includes a first portion 508 and a second portion 510coupled to the first portion 508 to define a circumferential opening 512to hold or retain a seal ring 514. The flexible ring-shaped carrier 502and the seal ring 514 may be implemented in manners similar or identicalto the flexible carriers and seal rings described above in connectionwith FIGS. 5-15. However, as set forth in more detail below, the examplecartridge 504 is different in several respects from the cartridgesdescribed above in connection with FIGS. 9, 10, and 15.

Turning in detail to the example cartridge 504 depicted in FIG. 16, thefirst portion 508 has a first inwardly facing surface 516 and the secondportion 510 has a second inwardly facing surface 518 to engage the firstinwardly facing surface 516. The inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518include respective radially oriented portions or radial surfaces 520 and522. The radially oriented portions or radial surfaces 520 and 522 liein a plane or planes that are generally or substantially perpendicularto the longitudinal axis of the ring-shaped seal 500. As used herein,the language “radial surfaces” includes surfaces that are at leastapproximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a ring-shapedmember (e.g., the seal 500). The inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518also include axially oriented portions or axial surfaces 524 and 526,which lie in a plane or planes that are generally or substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of the example seal 500. As usedherein, the language “axial surfaces” includes surfaces that are atleast approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the exampleseal 500.

The first and second portions 508 and 510 may be coupled together via atleast portions of the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518 using, forexample, a weld or welds (e.g., laser welds), which fuse together atleast portions of the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518. An exampleradial weld 550 is shown in FIG. 17 and an example axial weld 552 isdepicted in FIG. 18. The welds 550 and 552 may continuously andcompletely circumvent the ring-shaped cartridge 504 or, alternatively,may be a plurality of discontinuous welds spaced about the ring-shapedcartridge 504. As depicted in FIGS. 17 and 18, the welds 550 and 552fuse together at least portions of the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and518 that are substantially adjacent an axial wall 554 defining theopening 512. By using a weld or welds in a location that fuses thesurfaces 516 and 518 substantially adjacent the axial wall 554, thecartridge 504 can apply and maintain a desired retention load to theseal ring 514. In particular, the cartridge 504 and the welds 550 and552 depicted in FIGS. 16, 17, and 18 minimize or substantially eliminatethe possibility of the first and second portions 508 and 510 from beingspaced or spread apart by the expanding forces (e.g., the reactionaryload) of seal ring 514, which is captured between by the portions 508and 510. In other words, the torque or force that the reactionary loadimparted by the seal ring 514 to the portions 508 and 510, which arewelded or fused together, is significantly reduced or minimized for weldlocations that are proximate or substantially adjacent to the axial wall554 and, thus, the seal ring 514 (i.e., the source of the reactionaryforce generating the torque).

Similar to the example cartridge 402, the example cartridge 504 may becoupled or attached to the substantially flexible carrier 502 via one ormore welds or any other suitable method. However, in contrast to theexample cartridge 402, the radial surfaces 520 and 522 have more engagedsurface area than the axial surfaces 524 and 526. As can be most clearlyseen in FIGS. 17 and 18, having a relatively larger engagement areabetween the radial portions 520 and 522 of the inwardly facing surfaces516 and 518 enables or facilitates fusing or joining of the portions 508and 510 substantially adjacent the wall 554 and eliminates the need touse an interference fit between the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518of the portions 508 and 510 such as that described in connection withthe example cartridges 204 and 402 of FIGS. 9 and 15, respectively.

While the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518 are depicted as havingsubstantially radially oriented and substantially axially orientedportions other configurations and/or orientations for the inwardlyfacing surfaces 516 and 518 could be used instead. For example, theinwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518 may be angled so that someportion(s) or the entire surfaces 516 and 518 are angled to be neitherperpendicular nor parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seal 500.Alternatively or additionally, the inwardly facing surfaces 516 and 518may have a non-rectilinear (e.g., curved) profile such that the surfaces516 and 518 are complementary.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of another example cartridgeconfiguration 570 that may be used to implement the example sealsdescribed herein. The example cartridge 570 includes a first portion 572and a second portion 574 that is coupled to the first portion 572 todefine an opening 576 that retains a seal ring (e.g., the seal ring 514of FIG. 16). The second portion 574 includes a radial slot, groove, orchannel 578 that receives an axially projecting portion or axialprojection 580. The first and second portions 572 and 574 are coupledtogether via a weld 582, which extends through a lower surface 584 ofthe second portion 574 into the axial projection 580. The examplecartridge 570 also provides a second opening or channel 586 to receivean end of a flexible ring-shaped carrier (e.g., similar to the examplecarrier 210 of FIG. 9). During assembly, the slot, groove, or channel578 substantially eliminates graphite material (e.g., from a seal ringcaptured in the opening 576) or other similar contaminates fromcontaminating the surfaces to be fused or welded.

FIG. 20 is cross-section view of yet another example cartridgeconfiguration 600 that may be used to implement the example sealsdescribed herein. Certain components or features of the examplecartridge 600 are similar or identical to those of the example cartridge570 of FIG. 19 and those similar or identical components or features arereferenced using the same reference numbers. Similar to the examplecartridge 570 of FIG. 19, the example cartridge 600 has a portion 602that, when coupled to the first portion 572, defines an opening 604 toreceive a seal (e.g., the example seal 514 of FIG. 16). In contrast tothe opening 576 of the example cartridge 570 of FIG. 19, the opening 604has sloped or substantially non-parallel radial surfaces or sides 606and 608. The sloped or substantially non-parallel surfaces or sides 606and 608 enable a seal to be retained in the opening 604 to be loaded tocause the portions 572 and 602 to yield (e.g., move away from oneanother), thereby enabling the portions 572 and 602 to provide aconsistent loading on a seal ring or seal rings and across cartridges.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacturehave been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope ofthe appended claims either literally or under the doctrine ofequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seal for use with a butterfly valve, the sealcomprising: a flexible carrier to surround a flow control aperture; aseal stiffener adjacent the flexible carrier to increase a stiffness ofthe flexible carrier in a first flow direction; and a seal ring carriedby one of the flexible carrier or a flow control member to form a sealwith the other of the flexible carrier or the flow control member, theseal ring including a metal layer and a polymer layer.
 2. The seal asdefined in claim 1, wherein the seal stiffener is disposed between aclamping ring and the flexible carrier.
 3. The seal as defined in claim1, wherein the first flow direction is a reverse flow direction.
 4. Theseal as defined in claim 1, wherein the seal stiffener is to abut atleast a portion of the flexible carrier as the flexible carrier flexesin the first flow direction.
 5. The seal as defined in claim 1, whereinthe seal stiffener does not interfere with movement of the flexiblecarrier in a second flow direction.
 6. The seal as defined in claim 1,wherein the seal stiffener comprises a plurality of cantilevered membersspaced around a circumference of the flexible carrier.
 7. The seal asdefined in claim 1, wherein the seal stiffener is to protect theflexible carrier from abrasive media.
 8. The seal as defined in claim 1,wherein the seal stiffener has an inner diameter substantially equal toan inner diameter of the flexible carrier.
 9. The seal as defined inclaim 1, wherein the seal stiffener is substantially planar.
 10. Theseal as defined in claim 1, wherein the seal ring is a laminatedstructure.
 11. The seal as defined in claim 1, wherein the seal ring iscoupled to the flexible carrier.
 12. The seal as defined in claim 11,wherein the seal ring is coupled to the flexible carrier via acartridge.
 13. The seal as defined in claim 1, wherein the sealstiffener has a contoured profile comprised of two bends.
 14. The sealas defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible carrier comprises a curvedprofile having an inner diameter at a first side and an outer diameterat a second side, the seal stiffener disposed adjacent the first side,and the second side is to seal against the flow control member.
 15. Theseal as defined in claim 1, wherein the metal layer and the polymerlayer are coupled via a layer of graphite.
 16. The seal as defined inclaim 1, wherein the flexible carrier has a flush side that issubstantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flow controlaperture, and wherein the seal ring is coupled to the flush side of theflexible carrier.
 17. The seal as defined in claim 16, wherein the flushside is a radially inner most surface of the flexible carrier.
 18. Theseal as defined in claim 1, further including a cartridge coupled to theflexible carrier, the seal ring disposed within the cartridge andseparate from the flexible carrier.
 19. A seal for use with a butterflyvalve, the seal comprising: a first flexible carrier to surround a flowcontrol aperture; a seal stiffener adjacent the flexible carrier toincrease a stiffness of the flexible carrier in a first flow direction;and a seal ring to form a seal with one or more of the flexible carrieror a flow control member, the seal ring being a layered structureincluding a first metal layer, a first expanded graphite layer coupledto the first metal layer and a polymer layer coupled to the firstexpanded graphite layer.
 20. The seal as defined in claim 19, whereinthe seal ring comprises a second metal layer and a second expandedgraphite layer.
 21. The seal as defined in claim 20, wherein the polymerlayer of the seal ring is disposed between the first and second expandedgraphite layers.
 22. The seal as defined in claim 20, wherein the firstexpanded graphite layer is adjacent the first metal layer and the secondexpanded graphite layer is adjacent the second metal layer.
 23. The sealas defined in claim 20, wherein the seal ring comprises at least oneadditional metal layer between the first and second expanded graphitelayers.